Traces Of American Drugs In Pharaohs Could Prove Egyptians Beat Columbus To America

Traces Of American Drugs In Pharaohs Could Prove Egyptians Beat Columbus To America

Christopher Columbus was not the first foreigner to discover the Americas, according to new evidence that suggests ancient Egyptians visited the Americas as early as 1,000 BC and traded with locals for tobacco and cocaine.

German scientist Dr Svetla Balabanova was studying the mummified remains of Lady Henut Taui, a member of the ancient Egyptian ruling class, when she made a surprising discovery – the mummy contained traces of nicotine and cocaine.

Suspicion regarding the findings led to alternative hypotheses, for example, that the tests were contaminated or the mummies were modern fakes, but these ideas were disproved and the mummy and the test results were found to be authentic.

The results were particularly surprising considering that tobacco and coca plants, which were only found in the Americas at the time, were not exported overseas until the Victorian era in the 19th century. Could it be that the ancient Egyptians had made it all the way to America 3,000 years ago?

A number of archaeological discoveries have certainly suggested that the Egyptians were masters of the seas. In around 1477 BC, Queen Hatshepsut funded a mysterious overseas expedition to the Land of Punt, which is depicted in a relief at Deir el-Bahri (in modern day Luxor).

It shows five ships, each measuring about 70 feet long, carrying 210 men and loaded with gold, trees and exotic animals which can only be found along the coast of Africa and Arabian Peninsula, indicating that the Egyptians were able to undertake fairly large scale oceanic voyages.

Then, in 2011, a series of remarkable discoveries on a stretch of the Red Sea coast proved the Egyptian’s seafaring abilities. Archaeologists excavating a dried-up lagoon, known as Mersa Gawasis, unearthed traces of an ancient harbour that once launched early voyages like Hatshepsut’s onto the open ocean.

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Energy-saving Light Bulbs More Likely To Give Headaches

Low energy LED light bulbs could be giving us all HEADACHES because they flicker too much.

Energy-saving Light Bulbs More Likely To Give Headaches

Energy-saving light bulbs could be giving us all headaches as they flicker too much.

LED bulbs can bring on feelings of dizziness and pain within just 20 minutes of switching them on, an expert has warned.

Professor Arnold Wilkins, professor of psychology at the University of Essex, said the flickering of the unpopular lights is stronger than for traditional light bulbs.

While fluorescent lights, such as those in offices, dim by around 35 per cent with every flicker, LED lights dim by 100 per cent. It means they effectively turn off and on again hundreds of times every second.

This can cause headaches by disrupting movement control of the eyes, forcing the brain to work harder. Flickering LED bulbs could double the chances of suffering a headache, based on previous research.

The warning comes as Britain is set to ban halogen light bulbs completely next September under EU law. They are currently being phased out, with major retailer IKEA already only offering LED bulbs for sale.

‘People do not like the flicker’

Professor Wilkins said the flicker from the energy-efficient bulbs is putting some people off buying them, adding: ‘People do not like the flicker, it can make them fell dizzy and unwell after about 20 minutes, and can produce disturbing anomalies of perception, such as seeing multiple images of the lamp, every time you move your eyes rapidly.’

Most electric lighting is powered by an alternating current supply, which causes light bulbs to flicker. This particularly affects vision during rapid eye movements called saccades.

A study from 1989 conducted by Professor Wilkins found fluorescent lighting which flickered 100 times a second doubled the chances of office workers experiencing headaches. LED light bulbs can flash 400 times a second – four times as often.

Annoying and distracting

Writing on the website The Conversation, Professor Wilkins said: ‘No similar study has yet been performed for LED lights. But because LED flickering is even more pronounced, with the light dimming by 100 per cent rather than the roughly 35 per cent of fluorescent lamps, there’s a chance that LEDs could be even more likely to cause headaches.

‘At best, it’s likely to put some people off using LED bulbs because of the annoying, distracting effect of the flickering, which we know can be detected during saccades.’

The risk of headaches may be particularly high while reading, when it is important to position the eyes carefully to scan the pages.

Flickering light bulbs disrupt the control of this eye movements, making the brain use more energy to work harder, which has been linked to headaches.

It can also cause people to suffer visual anomalies, such as double or multiple vision. The lamp in front of you may look like two or three lamps because of this visual effect when a bulb flickers.

What are LEDs?

LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are one of two main types of energy-efficient light bulbs available in the UK, along with compact fluorescent lamps. They can cost more than traditional light bulbs, but are said to be cheaper in the long-term because they last longer.

However they have faced past criticism that they emit a cold, green light and take too long to warm up.
The flickering can be solved by buying a more expensive lamp, with a direct current rather than an alternating current so that the light is constant. But the lamp’s components may not last as long.

Arlene Wilkie, chief executive at the charity The Migraine Trust, said: ‘While we do know there are certain trigger factors for migraine, such as flickering light, there isn’t a lot of evidence that LED flickering lights are bad for migraine/headache.’

 
 
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8 Surprising Reasons Farting Is Good For You

Farting in public is generally frowned upon, but that doesn’t mean you should be ashamed of a little gas. Farts are a sign we are healthy.

8 Surprising Reasons Farting Is Good For You

Okay, so it’s not the most glamorous health tip, and some people might find it a little embarrassing to talk about… But farting is a normal result of a healthy digestive system and good indicator of our well-being.On average, we fart about 5-10 times a day, according to Medical Daily.

Certain foods make us fart more – especially complex carbohydrates such as beans, sweet potatoes, oats and wheat – and foods that are packed full of nutritional value can often lead to a stronger odor.

Whether you fart five or fifty times a day, here are 8 reasons why you should let it out and pay attention.

1. It reduces bloating.

The most common cause of bloating is a build-up of gas in your gut. That’s right – the full, tight discomfort that makes your pants a little tighter might just be because you need to fart. So don’t hold it in.

2. It’ll help you balance your diet.

Everyone has a unique gut and we all handle foods differently. If you are experimenting with nutrition and diet, farts are a good indicator of balance or imbalance, according to Huffington Post. Too much red meat, for example, usually results in a strong, unpleasant odor, while complex carbohydrates tend to cause larger amounts of gas with a more neutral odor.

3. It can relieve abdominal pain.

It might not be appropriate to fart in every situation, but holding it in – especially if you have a lot of gas in your gut – can cause intestinal distension which hurts, according to Berkeley Wellness.

If you feel that you need to fart but you can’t, try gently massaging your stomach to promote the movement of gas through your system.

4. Holding it in can be bad for your colon.

Withholding gas can exacerbate hemorrhoids, for example, as can trying to manipulate the way gas comes out. The best policy is to let it come out naturally. People whose colons have been compromised by illness are also best not to hold in flatulence.

5. Inhaling farts is good for you.

This sounds silly, but a study from the University of Exeter has found that exposure to small amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas (which our guts produce during digestion) may prevent mitochondrial damage to our cells. This could prevent strokes, heart disease, and arthritis, among other things.

6. Farts tell us about our health.

Pay attention to the gas you are passing every day. Is it frequent? Does it have a strong odor? Is there any pain? Fatulence can be an early warning sign for a range of health issues. If you have any pain or pronounced changes in your flatulence that you don’t think are related to diet, it might be worth seeing your doctor.

7. Diagnose food allergies.

Some food allergies cause us to have severe flatulence, and this is certainly the case for lactose intolerance, according to Medical News Today, as with Coeliac Disease. If you have a notable increase in farting after consuming certain foods or food groups, consult your doctor – there are very simple tests which can tell you whether you should be avoiding those foods.

8. It feels good.

We should all admit it – it feels good to let out gas that has been sitting in our abdomens and bothering us. Holding in gas can make us irritable and snappy, and according to Women’s Health Mag the best thing we can do is excuse ourselves to the bathroom and let it out quietly. There’s no relief quite like it.

Still embarrassed? If you think that you pass too much gas and have ruled out any medical issues, then there are small things you can do to reduce the amount of gas you produce, according to Web MD. You can eat more slowly, and avoid carbonated drinks and artificial sweeteners. Limit dairy, and get plenty of exercise. If you think your farts are healthy, then embrace it. Passing gas is a great sign that your digestive system is working as it should.

 
 
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These 9 Words Can Tell Where You Grew Up

If said a certain way, these words and phrases are a dead giveaway to where you’re from.

 
In his book “Speaking American” Josh Katz learned that some words are dead giveaways for where an American grew up.

“Some words are like out-of-state license plates—they’re dead giveaways that you’re not from around here. Just try rhyming aunt with can’t in parts of the Northeast or Upper Midwest (you can’t) or ordering a sub in Philadelphia, the epicenter of hoagie country.

In recent years, linguists have pondered whether the homogenizing effects of TV, film, and the Internet have begun to eliminate many so-called regionalisms. To find out, I surveyed Americans about how we talk for my book, Speaking American.”

What we call insects that glow at night

These 9 Words Can Tell Where You Grew Up

 

What we call a sale of household items

These 9 Words Can Tell Where You Grew Up

 

How we address a group of people

These 9 Words Can Tell Where You Grew Up
 

What we call carbonated beverages

These 9 Words Can Tell Where You Grew Up

Where we throw our trash

These 9 Words Can Tell Where You Grew Up

 

What we haul freight in

These 9 Words Can Tell Where You Grew Up

 

What we drink from in public places

These 9 Words Can Tell Where You Grew Up

 

What we call athletic footwear

These 9 Words Can Tell Where You Grew Up

 

How many syllables in caramel?

These 9 Words Can Tell Where You Grew Up

 
 
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